The Girards are an incredible family, so full of life and love. Dig right into these photos, because there are guaranteed smiles and laughs ahead!

First off was hair and makeup. Two wonderful ladies from Mousy Brown’s Salon were on hand to get the family all prettied up. Keira, the star of our shoot, got right in to help out.

Then it was off to shoot! You can see Ronald McDonald House in the background there. Jaime, the beautiful mom of this family, describes it as their “second home”. It’s truly a special place.

These guys are fantastic at snuggling and playing together! It was a joy to photograph them. :)

And this next photo I just had to include, because it makes me laugh my head off!! Keira’s brother Keely is the funniest, sweetest big brother in the world.

We absolutely love letting the kids try out our cameras! Keira really took to it right away, and looks like a total pro! (And no, it doesn’t make us too nervous, but it really freaks the parents out, which we think is pretty funny ;)

Another hilarious shot. These two are just too funny! This was “Give your brother a big hug”. Yep, that’s how kids give BIG hugs. :)

Keira was ready for her close up. Maybe a bit too close though… :)

And then, of course, the highlight of the shoot is always getting to play in the park!!

Now, as you saw, we gave the cameras to the kids and let them shoot. Here are a few shots by Keira + Keely!

And finally, another huge thanks to Lauren and Megan from Mousy Brown’s for styling the family, and making them feel like true rockstars.

The Girard’s are from Peace River, Alberta. Chuck and Keely, the dad and big brother, drove all the way in (4 hours!) just to be together for some photos. Photography is something that we do every day, and it’s all too easy for us to take it for granted. These guys really reminded us of the power of images, and how capturing these amazing relationships and moments is a privilege.

As I’m sure you could see in the photos, this family is amazing. Keira is such a strong and beautiful little girl, always wanting to help out. And her big brother, Keely, has the biggest heart. He loves his family, and was so happy to just get to hang out together. Not a lot of young boys would be eager to have a photo hugging their mom, but Keely just does it naturally. And Jaime and Chuck are amazing parents. They just jump right in to play. You can see why the kids adore them.

We know the Girard family personally. Actually my husband built their house in Peace River. You captured their family perfectly. They are the loveing family and always have smiles on their faces. Even though they are going through such a tough time. I just wish more people could do that in hard times maybe they would realize how special families really are.
Thank You again for sharing your beautiful pictures you do such a great job at catching people just being themselves.

Awesome photos you guys. My wife actually works part time as an RN in the NICU at a local hospital here in Riverside, CA. We've been thinking about doing portraits for parents and their babies in the NICU. I think the hospital uses NILMDTS, but we'd like to do something different. We also have a Ronald McDonald House nearby, so we've been inspired to check it out thanks to you guys!

These images are made of pure love and light - it shines through them all, and brought tears to my eyes. Our family have an angel girl, Rosa - who spent time in hospitals too in her short life. I have been studying photography this past year with a view to making precious memories for families also experiencing the challenges of child illness, and baby loss. You have given me such inspiration in these images, and a pathway is emerging. Thank you for this, and blessings on the Girard Family.